Broad call to politicians: harness the power of more plant-based food!
A broad, cross-sector coalition of organisations from the Dutch food and agricultural system is calling on the government to develop an Action Plan for More Plant-Based Food, aimed at stimulating the production and consumption of plant-based food in the Netherlands.
The call was presented and handed over on Thursday 10 September at Nieuwspoort in The Hague to members of the Dutch House of Representatives, Joris Lohman (CDA) and Anne-Marijke Podt (D66). The signatories of the call are asking the government to collaborate with them to develop an Action Plan that actively promotes the production and consumption of more plant-based food in the Netherlands, and by doing so achieving existing policy goals while capitalising on opportunities.
Opportunities and targets
The signatories of the call include businesses, retailers, producer organisations, trade associations, NGOs, educational institutions and foodservice organisations.
These parties are already actively working to stimulate the consumption and production of more plant-based foods and to advance the protein transition. They are committed to realising the social and economic opportunities this presents, while contributing to national and European objectives.
Through their call to jointly develop a concrete Action Plan, the parties aim to work with the government, based on five pillars, to further capitalize on these ambitions and opportunities. An Action Plan for More Plant-Based Food offers the Netherlands a unique opportunity to simultaneously strengthen economic growth, food security, public health, and sustainability.
Increased consumption of Dutch plant-based products stimulates innovation, creates jobs, and enhances the strategic resilience of the food supply chain. In addition, a more plant-based diet contributes to lower healthcare costs, a healthier population, and a significant reduction in environmental and climate impacts.
The action plan furthermore helps to ensure that existing national and European objectives in the fields of agriculture, climate, and the protein transition are achieved. Central to this is the government's target that by 2030, at least 50% of protein consumption should come from plant-based sources.
Five pillars
The signatories propose to develop the Action Plan around the following five pillars:
- Stimulating demand and improving the food environment
- Strengthening cultivation through support for farmers and supply chain collaboration
- Using public procurement as a lever, including serving more plant-based meals in canteens and public institutions
- Research and innovation (development of new products and solving challenges)
- Export, branding and internationalization (enhancing opportunities of the international trade position)
To realize the ambitions and opportunities set out in the Action Plan for More Plant-Based Food, the signatories call for the establishment of a public Plant-Based Acceleration Fund with an annual budget of €65 million, aimed at stimulating the entire value chain, from production and innovation to demand creation and exports. One-third of the fund would be specifically earmarked for organic plant-based production.
Jeroom Remmers, Director of the TAPP Coalition, said on behalf of the many signatories:
“The Netherlands is already a global leader in agriculture, food innovation and the development of plant-based proteins. With an public investment of €65 million per year, we can further build on this strong foundation, capitalize on new economic opportunities, and mobilize the entire value chain. In doing so, we will strengthen our international competitiveness while simultaneously contributing to a healthier population, lower healthcare costs, greater food security, and a more sustainable agricultural and food system.”
The strength of this call lies in the broad coalition of signatories behind it. Over the past months, extensive discussions have taken place regarding the content of the proposal, and all parties are pleased that this important first step is now being taken. Ideally, the next steps will align with the government's ambitions in the areas of health, prevention, food security, climate, and future-proof agriculture.
Both the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) and a broad majority in the House of Representatives are currently working on policies to further promote and stimulate the protein transition and the consumption of plant-based foods. In addition, the recently announced Strategic Food Security Agenda and the European Protein Action Plan underline the importance of strong plant-based value chains for the resilience and competitiveness of both the Netherlands and Europe.
A national Action Plan therefore represents a unique opportunity to bring together existing political, societal, and economic ambitions.
Read the call (Dutch)Inspiration from Denmark
For the launch of this call to action, Hanne Winter (Danish Vegetarian Association and member of EU Plant-Based Diplomacy) and Rasmus Prehn (former Danish Minister of Agriculture and current CEO of Organic Denmark) travelled to The Hague to share lessons learned from the launch of the Danish Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods, which served as the inspiration for the Dutch initiative.
“I am both proud and pleased to see such strong interest in the Danish Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods. Combined with the €170 million Plant-Based Food Grant, it is driving change across the food system, from field to plate. The grant supports education for kitchen professionals and agricultural students, increases the use of legumes and organic food in public kitchens and private catering, and funds field trials and the development of new plant-based products. A key part of our success has been the close cooperation with a broad range of stakeholders, including civil society. For example, we have worked closely with the Vegetarian Society of Denmark to establish a knowledge centre dedicated to plant-based organic food. We are very pleased to share these experiences with plant-based and organic with our Dutch colleagues and contribute to the important discussion on how to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable food system", says Rasmus Prehn, CEO of Organic Denmark and former Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.
For further information:
Bas Geerts
Projectmanager Actieplan Meer Plantaardige Voeding
Project More Plant-Based Foods
Transitiecoalitie Voedsel
P: +31 6 51 047 047
E: bas@transitiecoalitievoedsel.nl
W: www.transitiecoalitievoedsel.nl